We Dig the Castle 2017

17 July - 18 August

Welcome to our dig diaryMany of the entries and photos on this page have been created by our Explainer volunteers, who are sharing their passion for the history of Nottingham Castle with trainees and visitors

Explainer volunteer Mark's dig diary entry for todayThe weather is said to be likely to get worse but currently it’s a bright sunny morning and the ‘crew’ are busy excavating and cleaning. One new member has gone through the health and safety training and is now happily getting involved.

We've had the usual cross section of visitors, although perhaps with more than usual from the local area, revisiting after many years and interested in seeing how the Castle has changed and learning about future plans. One interested observer was a young archaeology student from Phoenix, Arizona, over in Nottingham for a course in archaeology. He has enjoyed being in the UK, especially the cooler, more varied weather than he is used to.

The trainees are undertaking the usual tasks of digging, sifting and cleaning as slow but regular progress is made in the hope that a greater understanding of the history of the site will be made....

.... Then came the rain, then the thunder, and then the lightning but the sturdy workers continued their excavations despite the weather.